Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

Question 1

Definition of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants (MPAs)

Answer 1

Botanical raw materials, herbal drugs, that are primarily used for therapeutic, aromatic and/or culinary purposes as components of cosmetics, medicinal products, health foods and other natural health products

Question 2

Primary metabolism

Answer 2

Substances and processes which are essential for growth and development of the individual

Characteristic: Universal, uniform, relatively few evolutionary changes

Question 3

Secondary metabolism

Answer 3

Deriving from the primary metabolism, comprises substances and processes whose functions are related to the interaction of the individual with the environment

Characteristic: Secondary metabolites are dominant in certain organs and depend on developmental stage and other impact factors; strong changes during evolution and during life cycle

Bioactive substances mainly originate from secondary metabolism

Question 4

Why does a plant produce secondary metabolites?

Answer 4

Co-Evolution: Evolutionary relationships between host-plant and biotic network

Protection & Attraction:
Enemies -> Defence / Protection (e.g. Pyrrolizidine alkaloids)
Environmental stress -> Protection
Pollinators -> attraction (e.g. pgment group flavonoids)

Question 5

Examples of secondary metabolism

Answer 5

Alkaloids (contain min. 1 nitrogen atom)
Phenols (phenolic ring)
Terpenoids
Essential oils (very volatile -> belong to group of terpenoids)

Question 6

Essential oils

Answer 6

Only Terpenoids
Highly volatile
Typical for plants of Lamiaceae, Apiaceae and Asteraceae
Essential oils are produced in specific glands on leaf surface

Question 7

Examples of essential oils with scientific proof

Answer 7

Rosemary essential oil (mind clearing, stimulating memory)

Lavender essential oil (Effect on anxiety levels)

Question 8

How can plants be a source for bioactive compounds?

Answer 8

Plant compounds are extracted and used by chemists as models for synthetic compounds
Example: Acetyl salicylic acid from Salix spp.

Plant molecules are extracted / isolated as elements for semi-synthetic compounds
Example: Artemether from Artemisia annua

A pure compound is extracted from the plant and used as such
Example: Morphine from Papaver somniferum

A multi-component mixture presents the active principle of the plant
-> mixture is used for the finished product
Example: Curcuma officinalis rhizome powder, Valeriana off. root extract, Hypericum perforatum herb extract

Question 9

Functional foods

Answer 9

Foods which are intended to be consumed as part of the normal diet and that contain biologically active components (e.g. phytochemicals, probiotics etc.) which offer potential of enhanced risk or reduced risk of disease

Claim of health effect is only possible if data from human studies are available adn these have been recognized by EFSA

Question 10

Food supplements

Answer 10

Concentrated sources (e.g. extracts) of nutrients (or other substances) with a nutritional or physiological effect.

Can be marketed in “dose” form, such as pills, tablets, capsules, liquids in measured doses

-> health claims are not allowed

Question 11

Herbal preparations

Answer 11

preparations from herbal substances (raw material)

Example: Ground or fine-cut plant material, extracts, distillats, tinctures etc.

Question 12

Herbal medicinal products (finished product)

Answer 12

Any medicinal product, exclusively containing as active ingredients one or more herbal substances or one or more herbal preparations

Question 13

Different categories of plant-based products and their regulation

Answer 13

Food
Functional food
Food supplements
Feed
-> regulated by BLV, Bundesamt für Gesundheit, EFSA

Phytopharmaceuticals
-> regulated by swissmedic, european medicines agency

Cosmetics
-> regulated by BLV, cosmetics Legislation

Question 14

What requirements have to be fulfilled with evidence based phytopharmaceuticals?

Answer 14

Pharmaceutical quality (GACP; GMP)
Efficacy (Clinical trials)
Safety (Toxicity studies)

Question 15

What are no evidence based phytopharmaceuticals?

Answer 15

Traditional herbal remedies
Homoeopathic remedies
Anthroposophical remedies
Food supplements
Isolated natural compounds

Question 16

Extraction process

Answer 16

See page 34

Question 17

Typical formulations of extracts in modern phytopharmaceuticals

Answer 17

Dry extract in various formulations (Capsuels, tablets)

Tinctures, fluid extracts

Ointment, gels

Question 18

Market for MAPs

Answer 18

increasing demand for herbal ingredients in cosmetics
high demand of natural medicine from developing countries

largest global markets are CHina, US, France, Germany Italy Japan, Spain, UK

increasing demand globally

more and more demand has come up for disease conditions where modern drugs are either unavailable or unsatisfactory (tropical diseases, chronic conditions, alzheimer …)

Question 19

Main indication areas for phytopharmaceutical products

Answer 19

1. Cough and cold
2. Gastro-intestinal discomfort
3. Joint and muscle pain
4. Urological problems
5. Anxiety, depressions
6. Rheumatoid arthritis

Question 20

Top botanicals for phytopharmaceutical use

Answer 20

Ginko biloba - leaves - declining mental performance

Hypericum perforatum - Flowering aerial parts - Depression

Echinacea purpurea - aerial parts or roots - common cold, flu

Valeriana officinalis - roots - sleep disorders

Allium sativum - bulbs - high blood lipid levels and high blood pressure

see more on page 41

Question 21

Overview of different sub-sectors of MAP use

Answer 21

Pharma: Phytopharmaceuticals, veterinary products, pure pharmaceutical compounds

Food: spices, Food supplements, health food, functional food, nutraceuticals, flavors

Cosmetics: fragrances, Cosmoceuticals

Plant protection (e.g. Neem)

Question 22

Feed and feed additives

Answer 22

Emerging market

Replacement of antibiotics

Phytogenic feed additives are substances of plant origin added to animal diets at recommended levels with the aim of improving animal performance

Question 23

Feed - Example: Sangrovit

Answer 23

Active compound: Sanguinarine

Mode of action: Combined antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects of Sanguinarin

-> better feed uptake and conversion in broilers, swine and cattle

Question 24

Tendencies for food supplements, phytopharmaceuticals, cosmetics and feed

Answer 24

Food supplements:
Growing demand due to high general acceptance and lower registration hurdles, high quality demands, less good prices than in pharma

Phytopharmaceuticals (Registered drugs):
Stabile demand, no or little growth due to high registration barriers for finished products, high quality requirements, good prices

Cosmetics:
Growing demand, but absolute demand not very high due to low concentrations employed, intermediate quality requirements, comparatively low prices

Feed:
Growing demand due to public awareness and ban of antibiotics in animal husbandry, comparatively low prices

Question 25

Growers perspective on market access

Answer 25

Global competition:
MAPs in most cases are sold/used as dried material. Dried plant raw material can be shipped globally at rather low costs, therefore, for many of such materials, growers face a global competition

Lack of transparency:
market is not fully transparent adn grwoers often do not know who needs their materials and buyers do not know where to find them

Competition with wild grafted materials

Prices for individual plant raw materials are fluctuating from year to year

Storage of products is only possible to short term, since man ybiologically active substances are not stable over long periods

number of growers is reducing -> remaining growers are encountering more challenging tasks

Question 26

Wild Grafting

Answer 26

60 - 90% among 30’000 medicinal plant species are sourced from the wild, some 3000 are traded internationally

in countries of origin these species are mainly used for primary helath care needs
they are also and still are a subject of considerable national and international trade

Question 27

Cons of Wild grafting

Answer 27

Lack of sustainability
Adulteration
poor post-harvest processing
processes difficult to control / standardize / improve
Problem to draw representative samples
costs and availability are unpredictable
“over” collection
production costs are often low
MAPs threatened by overcollection (risk of extinction)

Question 28

CITES

Answer 28

Convention on International Trade in ENdangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

Aim: ensure international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild

accords varying degrees of protection to more than 35’000 species of animals and plants

Question 29

Pro’s of MAP production based on cultivation

Answer 29

continuous suppy of raw material guaranteed
production volumes / prices can be agreed for longer periods
plant material can be standardised and improved by breeding
reproducibility and traceability can be assured
no risk of depleting natural diversity
detailed documentation of production process is feasible

Question 30

Con of MAp production based on cultivation

Answer 30

Raw materials from cultivation often are more expensive than from wild grafting

Question 31

MAP production in Switzerland

Answer 31

mainly in mountain areas
mainly organic
well established interaction between producers, industry and agronomic and phyto-chemical research

250 ha cultivated area
150 producers
Salbei, Thymian, Melisse, Pfefferminze

Question 32

Industrial applications in CH

Answer 32

Ricola
Herbal tea processors
Aromatic herbs-processors
Bio Alp tea
cosmetic industry
perfume industry